Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-05-05
WHERE IG. is BLISS"
Andrew Homer the First Man Held
for Adultery Under the New Law.
Under S1,5O0 Bonds.
A POlygamOus Wife'S Peculiar Idea of
the Marriage RelatiOn.-"FOr
the Next World"
An Ugly Man With Four Wives.-HiS
Legal Wife Didn't Want Him.
Ignorance PersOnifled.

There was never better illustration of
the old saying, 'Where ignorance is
bliss" etc, than that given in the testi-
mony of the second wife of Andrew
Homer, who was up for examination
before Commissioner Mckay this morn
ing.
Homer was arrested at his house in
Mill Creek yesterday afternoon by depu-
ties Franks and Cannon, and was this
morning arranged upon a charge of
unlawful cohabitation before Judge Nc
Kay. He entered plea OF not guilty,
and the prosecution began by calling
PETRA HOMER,
Who was sworn and said: My maiden
name was Petersen; | am married to de-
fendant; | married. him in 1880 in this
city; | have one child seventeen months
old; the defendant lives with me; the de-
PENDANT had a wife before he married me :;
her name was Jennena; | don't know
whether he had more than one or not; l
didn't known much then, as | had Just
come from the old country. Excused.
ANNA HOMER
Was next called: My maiden name was
Anna Anderson; am married to the
defendant for the next world; we were
married fifteen or sixteen years ago; he
had another wife Jennena; she was sick
and Couldn't have any man." so she
went away to Park City
Mr.. Dickson-Was that about the time
he married you for the next world?
Ans.-It was the same year.
Witness then began to explain matters
and revealed state of ignorance disgust
ing in the extreme She said in sub
stance: When the defendants first wife
left him he chad no woman of course
he 'needed woman, and he married me
for the next world" he then lived with
me for some time, but didn't ''need any
man" because had been married in the
old country and was getting old; l told
him to get another woman because |
couldn't 'have any man." and SO he
married Petra, and has lived with her
ever since.
At this point, Mr.. Dickson asked that
the defendant be held. He said that it
was a case of adultery and asked that the
bail be fixed accordingly.
Judge Mckay asked the wife Petra if
oliC hlOil hLOh ClllI IL was tlSdlISb Tue
law to live with her now. She said that
she thought it was all right, as she was
the only woman he lived with.
Upon questioning the defendant, twas
found that he was about equally ignorant
of the nature of his offense, and he asked
innocently what he was to do when he
came out of the Pen, if he couldn't live
with Petra, and added in a sorrowful
tone that he would have "no woman at
all" then. He said that Jennena got all
his property out of him and that she
won't have anything to do with him
now, He had a wife in the East before
he married either OF these, but she died
before he came here.
The Judge said that there was proba-
bic cause to hold the defendant on I'M
lawful cohabitation and adultery, and in
view of his being poor man his bail
was fixed at 81 800 for his appearance be-
fore the Grand Jury when wanted The
two wives present were required to give
sureties in the sum Of $500 each esase.if.